Coupling.



G. F. WINTER.

COUPLING.

APPLICATION FILED AUG.25,1915.

Patented Apr. 4, 1916.

INVENTOR Geo/3e f'iVz'nzer By 7 f ,4 NOR/VH8 W/ TIVESSES GEORGE E. WINTER, 0F LIHUE, TERRITORY OF HAWAII.

COUPLING.

Specification of Letters Iatent.

Patented Apr. 4t, 1916.

Application filed August 25, 1915. Serial No. 47,220.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, GEORGE F. \VINTEI a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Lihue, in the county of Kauai, Hawaiian Territory, have invented a new and Improved Coupling, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

The invention relates to sugar cane mills, and'its object is to provide a new and improved coupling more especially designed for coupling together the sections of the square driving shaft for the upper roller with a view to render the said driving shaft flexible to allow the upper roller to yield in case foreign matter, such as pieces of iron, car links, hammers and the like, pass with the sugar cane between the rollers.

Another object is to locate the bearing point of the adjacent ends of the driving shaft sections farther inward in the coupling to insure strength and speed.

For the purpose mentioned the coupling is provided with a polygonal opening, the walls of which are convex in a longitudinal direction.

.A practical embodiment of the invention is represented in the'accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification, in which similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the views.

Figure 1 is a side elevation of a portion of a sugar cane mill provided with the improved coupling; Fig. 2 is an enlarged sectional side elevation of one of the couplings with the adjacent ends of the shaft sections in position therein; and Fig. 3 is a face view of one end of the coupling.

The driving shaft of the sugar cane mill shown in Fig. 1 is formed in three sections A, A and A of which the section A is connected by a gear wheel B with other machinery for imparting a rotary motion to the driving shaft. The section A of the driving shaft is connected with the upper roller O and is connected by the usual gearing D with the lower rollers E. The adjacent square ends of the shaft sections A, A

and A, A are connected with each other formed with an opening F therethrough,

and which opening F is of square or other polygonal shape according to the cross section of the corresponding ends of the shaft sectlons A, A and A, A The walls F of the opening F are made convex in a longitudinal direction from each end to the middle of the coupling, as plainly indicated in Fig. 2, so that the sides of the square shaft ends have transverse lined contact with the convex walls F By the arrangement described, the bearing points of the shaft ends in the coupling F or F are approximately half way between the corresponding ends and the middle of the coupling F or F, and at the same time a balljoint connection is had between the shaft ends and the coupling. By the arrangement described, the driving shaft is rendered flexible to allow the upper roller 0 to yield in case pieces of iron, car links, hammers and extraneous matter pass with the sugar cane between the rollers C and E. Thus the couplings F and F are not liable to be cracked or otherwise injured. It will also be noticed that by locating the contact point between the shaft ends, and the couplings F, F remote from the ends thereof, it is evident that the couplings are rendered exceeding strong and safe.

Although the coupling has been shown and described in connection with the driving shaft of a sugar cane mill, itis evident that the coupling may be used on shafts of other machinery without deviating from the spirit ofmy invention.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent:

1. A coupling for shaft sections having a polygonal opening therethrough, the walls of the opening being convex in the direction of the axi of the coupling.

2. A coupling for the sections of a drivthe walls of the opening from one end to m middle of the coupling being convex in the direction of the axis of the pling.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

GEORGE E. WINTER. v

said cou- 10 Witnesses:

EDWARD O. THUR'TELL, CHARLES E. MASER. 

